My paternal uncle, an established businessman in Kanpur, emigrated from India to Canada in 2012. It was a decision of great guts to leave a thriving business and move out to a completely alien and novel environment and start from scratch and side by side take care of a family. He had to set up a whole new business in an absolutely fresh and different business environment between unknown people, leaving the comfort of a well established and flourishing business in UP.
The question that intrigued every person was that, even after having money and establishment WHO DOES THAT?
The simple answer to this question was, anyone who wants to live in a state where there is safety, security, standard of living, academic opportunity, social security, medical facilities and all the other things that are promised to a voter in India.
He came back after 9 years and he was flabbergasted. For the first time in his life he regretted his decision of leaving UP. From a state of turmoil and mayhem, his hometown had revamped into a progressive domain. The reasons that had forced him out were forced out themselves.
This inter-personal story illustrates how the Modi-Yogi combination has benefitted the population of UP in both business and social aspect in an unprecedented manner.
COMMERCE :
According to the Uttar Pradesh State Presentation Report by the India Brand Equity Foundation ( IBEF ), The Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) of Uttar Pradesh grew at a CAGR of around 8.43% between 2015-16 and 2020-21 to reach Rs. 17.06 trillion (US$ 234.96 billion). The Net State Domestic Product (NSDP) grew at a CAGR of around 8.42% between 2015-16 and 2020-21 to reach Rs. 15.12 trillion (US$ 208.34 billion).
It is worth mentioning here that industrialists are making massive investments in Uttar Pradesh because of improved law and order as well as increased ease in doing business and in logistics in the state under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Uttar Pradesh ranks second in ease of doing business in the country today, thanks to Yogi Government’s industry-friendly policies.
The Uttar Pradesh government plans to launch its own e-commerce website dedicated to goods identified under the states flagship scheme of one district-one product (ODOP). Further an ODOP Mart is also being set up by the UP Handicrafts Development & Marketing Corporation. This will benefit artisans who do not have GST registration. Buyers will also be assured of the quality and authenticity of the product which they purchase through the mart.
The aim of having such a portal is to promote the state’s handicraft at an international platform.
The state attracted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) equity inflow worth US$ 664.66 million between October 2019 and March 2021 according to the data released by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). In 2019, 147 investment intentions worth Rs. 16,799 crore (US$ 2.40 billion) were filed in Uttar Pradesh.
In 2019, the state recorded the fastest construction of houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna with 14.26 lakh houses constructed from 2016-17 to 2019-20.
In February 2020, the state organised Defence Expo-2020 and received proposals worth Rs. 5 lakh crore (US$ 70.93 billion) for investment. Investments were focused on key sectors such as IT & ITeS, Dairy, Electronics, Tourism, Manufacturing, Renewable Energy, Agro, and Food Processing.
The state cabinet approved UP Defence and Aerospace Units and Employment Promotion Policy 2018 with an intention to generate 250 thousand jobs and attract investment worth Rs. 50,000 crores (US$ 7.46 billion) over the next five years.
State govt. also passed Uttar Pradesh Startup Policy, 2020. The objective of the policy is to be among top 3 states in Start Up ranking, establish/support a minimum 1 incubator in each district of the state and create an ecosystem for at least 10,000 startups in the state among others.
SOCIAL MEASURES :
The Yogi Government has worked enormously for the upliftment of the backward and lower strata of the society.
Out of the 8.85 lakh houses built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 6.50 lakh have been given to Dalits. 37 lakh Dalits have been issued ration cards for the first time. While the previous government got no work done in most backward classes-dominated 1,556 villages, the BJP government has ensured that all amenities reached there. Under the Saubhagya Yojana, 32 lakh power connections have been given to Dalits.
25 district magistrates and seven divisional commissioners are from SC or OBC categories, making up 33% and 39% of the total posts, respectively. Similarly, 25 top police officers are from Dalit community, said an official.
There has been a massive development in the sector of Women Empowerment and safety.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)-2019, there has been a 45 per cent decline in incidents of rapes, 19.80 per cent in cases of murders, 65.72 per cent in dacoities and 40.20 percent in cases of rioting. It says the state government has adopted zero tolerance towards criminals and mafiosi, and their illegally accumulated assets worth about Rs 1,000 crore have been demolished or confiscated.
The Uttar Pradesh government in August 2021 launched the third phase of ‘Mission Shakti‘ with an aim to promote safety, respect and self-reliance for women.
The main schemes implemented in this phase, were the launch of ‘Mission Shakti Kaksha’ at all the 59,000 gram panchayat bhawans, formation of one lakh women self-help groups, linking of 1.73 new beneficiaries to destitute women pension scheme, safe city project in divisional headquarters and Gautam Buddh Nagar, posting of women police personnel as beat police officers, construction of pink toilets (for women) in 1,286 police stations, special recruitment for women battalions of Provincial Armed Constabulary on 2,982 posts, deployment of women sub-inspectors in urban areas, setting up of creche in all police lines and construction of health club in women’s colleges.
In the program, the chief minister also transferred ₹30.12 crore into the bank accounts of 1.5 lakh new beneficiaries under Kanya Sumangala Yojana. With this, the total number of girls who have been benefitted by the scheme will reach 9.36 lakh.
Schemes were introduced by the Yogi Government to promote women safety.
Safe City Project was introduced by the Governor of UP in October 2021, the Governor flagged off 100 pink scooties and 10 four-wheeler police vehicles. The central government approved the project for Lucknow at a total cost of Rs 194 crore with an aim to strengthen security of women in public places. The cost of the project was shared between the Centre and the state in 60:40 ratio.
The ‘anti-Romeo squads‘ was formed soon after Yogi Adityanath assumed office of chief minister in Uttar Pradesh, thereby fulfilling the BJP’s election promise to protect the honour of women’ once the party comes to power. In the initial year of its formation only, 2,481 FIRs were lodged and action was taken against 4,392 persons12,616,18 public places, schools, parks, bus stations, malls, markets were checked by the ‘anti-Romeo squads.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)-2019, the all-India rate of crime against women in 2019 was 62.4 cases per one lakh population while Uttar Pradesh recorded 55.4 cases per lakh. As compared to UP, crime rate was 63.1 (per lakh population) in Maharashtra, 64 in West Bengal, 69 in Madhya Pradesh and 110 in Rajasthan. Even in a small state like Kerala, the rate of crime against women stood at 62.7. schemes introduced by the state government for women’s security helped in controlling crime. In 2016, at least 3,289 rape cases were reported in UP but the figure dropped to 2,232 in 2020, showing a depreciation by 32%.
CONCLUSION :
For the first time in decades, the marginalised castes and women of Uttar Pradesh are sure of having equal opportunity and social security.
UP, under the Yogi-Modi leadership is moving forward following the Gujarat Business model. The investment done in Jewar Airport by Zurich Airport for instance, is a great example as to how UP is on its way to become a hub for Foreign Direct Investment.
In a political atmosphere like UP, where parties forever in the past have garnered votes by provoking caste groups and sects against each other, for the first time a government will be campaigning on merit. With millions of new voters like me, who will not vote on the basis of caste but on the basis of the work done by the incumbent government, BJP stands ahead of all its competitors in every aspect possible.
